The invention relates to a rigid vehicle axle comprising an axle beam with axle journals or wheel carriers arranged at the ends thereof, and at least two trailing arms rigidly fixed to the axle beam, each half of the vehicle rigid axle—as viewed from the center of the axle—comprising, arranged one after the other, an axle beam section, a trailing arm section and a wheel head section and the wheel head section comprising at least an axle journal or wheel carrier.
DE 296 16 257 U1 representing the generic type of such an axle discloses a pneumatically suspended rigid vehicle axle, which comprises an axle tube and trailing arms welded thereto. Trailing arms with corresponding socket holes are pushed on to the axle tube, which is in the form of an axle journal at each of its two ends. The trailing arms are welded to the axle tube along the socket holes. The trailing arm is extended rearwards beyond the axle tube, where its free end serves as support for an air spring. The said extension, among other things, makes the trailing arm a component subject to flexural stress. In order to reduce any weakening of the trailing arm due to the socket holes, the cross sectional profile of the trailing arm must be designed with relatively large dimensions. Moreover, in the area of the welds, the layers of material of the axle tube and the trailing arm are superimposed one on top of another in the radial direction of the axle tube. Such material doublings and stiffening measures have a detrimental effect on the size of the unsprung mass.
Furthermore, DE 100 60 312 A1 discloses an axle tube for a vehicle axle which, for stability and weight-reduction reasons, has a plurality of tubular sections of different diameter between the axle journals and stub axles. These individual axle sections are butt-joined together, for example by friction welding.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a rigid vehicle axle, which increases ride comfort and driving safety and reduces tire wear. At the same time, the construction of the axle should facilitate adaptation to different self-propelled and/or towed vehicles.